Jefferson's Reserve Groth Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Cask Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $70
- 90.2 Proof
- NAS
- Batch No. 7

Jefferson's Reserve Groth Reserve Cask Finish has been staring me in the face from it's spot on the liquor store shelf for quite some time, intriguing me, but not enough for me to pony up the $70 to buy it. However, I stumbled upon a couple of very positive reviews online, and I decided to give it a try. Specifically, others had commented that for people that like wine barrel finished bourbons, of which I consider myself one, this is one of the better ones out there.

The nose is soft and inoffensive, a nice blend of vanilla and dark fruits, kind of a blend of black cherry and raspberry. The wine influence is noticeable immediately upon popping the cork. Interestingly, the longer the bottle was open the stronger the wine scent became.

The palate, much like the nose, is soft and velvety smooth. Sweet tobacco mixes nicely with hints of plum and blackberry. On the back end lightly spiced vanilla notes come in. The wine influence is significant but not overwhelming. Unlike the port finished bourbons like Angel's Envy, the wine influence here isn't sweet, but more of a savory wine flavor.

That wine balances nicely with the traditional caramel and vanilla notes of the bourbon. Those more traditional notes don't really come through, though, until the finish. That's where this bourbon really seemed to sweeten up, leaving a nice caramel coating on my throat and a vanilla undertone that just never really seemed to go away.

This bourbon has a nice viscosity to it, really feeling substantial in my mouth. Yet, the lower proof mixed with the wine finish makes for a very easy drinker, one that anyone from the novice to the experienced bourbon drinker can appreciate. Also, for what it's worth, it goes really well with good milk chocolate!

Grade: B+